The second leg of the Copa del Rey clash between Racing de Santander and Real Sociedad was due to take place at the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero this evening.
The away side entered the match as the firm favourites following a 3-1 win when the two sides met in the first leg at the San Sebastian last week.
The game had been in doubt due to Racing threatening to strike over unpaid wages and that indeed proved to be the case as the referee was forced to suspend proceedings after the home side refused to play.
Sociedad will now face Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Evening all! Our Copa del Rey quarter-final coverage continues this evening as Racing de Santander welcome Real Sociedad for the second leg. As mentioned, the away side will enter the match as the firm favourites following a 3-1 win in the first leg last week. However, Racing have already caused a number of shocks in this season’s Copa del Rey.
TEAMS:
RACING: Mario; Francis, Garcia, Orfila, Barrio; Andreu, Ayina, Soria, Granero; Miguelez, Duran
SOCIEDAD: Zubikarai; Zaldua, Mikel, Inigo, Angel; Gaztanaga, Ros, Zurutuza, Prieto; Seferovic, Castro
So there we have it. No Kone or Lafuente in the Racing XI this evening, but Ruben Duran comes in after starting the first leg on the bench. There are also starts for Saul Garcia, Jhon Ayina and Javi Soria. Sociedad, meanwhile, leave Antoine Griezmann on the bench, meaning that Chory Castro and Haris Seferovic are both handed rare opportunities in attack. Skipper Xabi Prieto also starts.
As it stands, this match goes ahead. However, that might not be the case at 8pm. Racing captain Mario Fernandez revealed earlier this week that the squad would boycott the match due to unpaid wages. It is clear that there is tension between the players and president Angel Lavin, who has been widely criticised by Fernandez. We shall keep you updated as and when information becomes available.
On the field, it has been an impressive season for Racing. They have already beaten the likes of Sevilla and Almeria to advance to this stage of the competition, while they overcame L’Hospitalet and Leganes in the early rounds. Prior to this season, they had not reached the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey since 2001 and they will be keen to go one better this time around.
The home side have also enjoyed success in their domestic league this season. They enter this match off the back of a 1-0 loss to Zamora at the weekend, but they are currently top of the Segunda B on 41 points. Overall, they have won 11 of their 22 matches, drawing eight and losing three. In truth, promotion is Racing’s prime target this season.
Sociedad, meanwhile, overcame Algeciras in the fourth round of the competition before beating Villarreal 1-0 at El Madrigal in the last-16 stage. The Basque outfit have only won this particular competition once (1987), but have been runners-up on five occasions. They were also surprisingly knocked out of last season’s competition in the early stages by Cordoba.
In terms of Sociedad’s league campaign, they currently sit sixth in La Liga having taken 36 points from their 21 matches this season. They will enter this game full of confidence, meanwhile, following a 4-0 win over Elche in La Liga last time out. They have struggled on the road, however, with four of their five league defeats coming on their travels.
In terms of the recent meetings between the two sides, Sociedad have won three of the last five matches, with Racing winning once and the further fixture ending in a draw. The last time the pair met in this stadium was in a La Liga clash in December 2011, where the points were shared in a goalless draw.
Both sets of players are on the field, but it is still unclear whether this match is going to go ahead. It is understood that Racing will refuse to play when the match actually starts. It is a quite unbelievable situation. If the match doesn't go ahead, Sociedad will advance into the next round to face Barcelona.
Sociedad kick off, but the Racing Santander players gather around the centre circle. What an incredible situation. Sociedad are keeping the ball in their own half. I have never, ever seen anything like this before.
BREAKING: MATCH SUSPENDED
As expected and as indeed promised, the Racing players have refused to play. The referee has taken the decision to suspend the match. The home supporters are certainly backing the decision as they applaud around the stadium.
Well, this means that Sociedad will play Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. The first semi-final will be contested between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Surreal scenes at the moment as the Racing players and staff parade around the stadium and clap the supporters.
It is a sad situation that could have been avoided, but unfortunately, the match has indeed been suspended. Reports have claimed that the players have not been paid for the last four months. At the moment, the players are leaving the pitch to the support of their fans.
So there we have it. Thanks for joining Sports Mole. I am sorry that we could not bring you this particular match, but be sure to join us again this weekend for plenty of European football. Until then!
